The present disclosure relates to an image sensor, a light quantity measurement method, and a microscope system, and in particular to an image sensor, a light quantity measurement method, and a microscope system which are capable of measuring a quantity of light with which pixels are irradiated irrespective of an arrangement position on a light receiving surface with desirable accuracy.
An image sensor such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) has a light receiving surface constituted of a plurality of pixel groups and is used to measure a light quantity in some cases in addition to a typical usage of taking an image.
On the light receiving surface of the image sensor, there are an effective pixel region formed of a pixel group which is irradiated with light and an optical black region formed of a pixel group which is shielded from light. In the image sensor used for a light quantity measurement, an output value of a pixel in the optical black region is subtracted from an output value of a pixel in the effective pixel region, thereby removing a noise or an offset of the output value of the pixel due to heat or a circuit structure (see, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-300179).